Suddenly I can't send email

Problems with the Windows version of XAMPP, questions, comments, and anything related.

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby creacon » 22. October 2009 12:11

Do you mean Outlook or Outlook Express


Outlook 2007.

[quote]and this could possibly mean that you are not using Transport Layer Security (TLS - encrypted email) with Outlook - if your SMTP/POP server has Transport Layer Security email then IMHO you should use it as the equivalents in snail-mail are sending your letter into an envelope -TLS, or using a post card - plain email.[
/quote]

It probably does mean that, since All I did was follow Yayoo's instructions for setting up an account in Outlook. It has pretty much the same settings as my regular email account with my isp, except for the server names. Except for your explanation above, I've never even heard of TLS, let alone know what it is.

Just for a check, I changed my sendmail.ini to look like this:
Code: Select all
# A freemail service example
account Yahoomail
tls on
port 25
#tls_starttls off
#tls_certcheck off
host smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
from rob@creacontech.com
auth on
user rob@creacontech.com
password [raisin4312]

and I didn't get any log entries, but also, I didn't receive the email. If that TLS thing encrypts the email, then I really need to use it, because the forms will be sending private information (i.e. SSN DOB etc). Howver, I don't know what to do to make this work. FWIW, when I upload the pages to my Yahoo site, the email works, but now I'm wondering if it's encrypting, or just sending it plain. I'll have to find that out from Yahoo. In the mean time I need to get it working locally.

I'm going to finish reading your last post and follow any/all instructions there, but have to sign off for now, as we have to leave to go to Atlanta on business. I'll get back to you this evening. Thanks again.
creacon
 
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Joined: 21. August 2009 19:14

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Wiedmann » 22. October 2009 16:06

Izzy wrote:BTW Accepted methods for auth are 'on', ‘plain’, ‘cram-md5’, ‘digest-md5’, ‘gssapi’, ‘external’, ‘login’, and ‘ntlm’.

Only one of these are available: plain cram-md5 external login
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Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby creacon » 23. October 2009 17:25

Right now I'm so completely confused and befuddled (see also confounded) with all of this, I don't know which way is up.

Yahoo wrote:
We strongly recommend that you enable SSL for both POP and SMTP, as detailed in the above instructions. This will ensure that your Yahoo! ID, password and email messages are transmitted securely between your mail client and the Yahoo! servers. However, if you choose to not use SSL for SMTP, your email client will likely default the SMTP port to 25.http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/smallb ... op-33.html


Went there to try that, but the page that the link took me to had bogus information. Beyond the "Options>Mail Options", NOTHING that the page mentioned existed in my Yahoo Mail account. I did, however, find the following when I signed in to my Yahoo web hosting account and clicked the Email tab:
Your POP/SMTP Settings
Incoming mail server (POP3): pop.bizmail.yahoo.com
Use SSL, port: 995
Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
Use SSL, port: 465, use authentication
Account name/user name: rob@creacontech.com
Email address: rob@creacontech.com
Password: Your Business Email password

And when I upload my pages to my Yahoo site, the email is sent, and I can receive it in Outlook on my computer. I have to note, however, that when I check the yahoo mail account in Outlook, it still has the ports 110 (in) and 25 (out). I tried changing them to the ones shown above, but when I clicked the Test button the tests failed.

I also tried using the Yahoo automatic account settings program. It ran without errors, and said that my settings were updated, but when I looked at them, they were still the same. So at this point I don't even know if my web hosting email settings are truly what that Yahoo page said they are.

Here is the full documentation for the msmtp (sendmail in XAMPP 1.7.2):
http://msmtp.sourceforge.net/doc/msmtp.html

I followed the above link and that's where the confusion really set in. I haven't the foggiest clue as to what that's all about, let alone where, when and how to use it.

Finally, I changed my sendmail.ini file to exactly like the one you showed me (i.e.):

Code: Select all
# A freemail service example
account SecureYahoomail
host smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
from rob@creacontech.com
port 465
auth on
user rob@creacontech.com
password [raisin4312]
tls on
tls_starttls off
tls_certcheck off

and the email indicates that it has been sent, and there's no entry in the sendmail.log file, but Outlook doesn't receive it, nor is it in my Yahoo mail inbox.

I finally figured out how to change my email account for Yahoo in Outlook. What I did was change the ports to 995 (POP) and 465 (SMTP), then checked the box labled "This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL), and in the drop list labelled "Use the following type of encrypted connection", I selected SSL. That seemed to work for Outlook; I'm able to send and receive email via that connection. However, I still can't receive the email sent from my web page on the local host. I get the "succesful" message from my php code, and there's NO entry made in sendmail.log, but I still DO NOT get the mail; neither in Outlook or in Yahoo webmail.

Any ideas????
creacon
 
Posts: 36
Joined: 21. August 2009 19:14

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby creacon » 23. October 2009 19:45

I made another stab at something. Looking in the sendmail.ini, I noticed that the first line was "SecureYahoomail":

Code: Select all
# A freemail service example
account SecureYahoomail
host smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
from rob@creacontech.com
port 465
auth on
user rob@creacontech.com
password [raisin4312]
tls on
tls_starttls off
tls_certcheck off

Then I noticed that following the above was another item:

Code: Select all
# Set a default account
account default : Yahoomail


So I changed that to read "SecureYahoomail", just like the first line above. Well the email still wasn't sent, but this time there was a log entry:
Oct 23 14:38:10 host=smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com tls=on auth=on user=rob@creacontech.com from=rob@creacontech.com recipients=creacontech@windstream.net smtpstatus=535 smtpmsg='535 authorization failed (#5.7.0)' errormsg='authentication failed (method PLAIN)' exitcode=EX_NOPERM


Now I don't know if that's progress because I'm not sure if changing that last item was the right thing to do, but maybe someone has some ideas about this?!? Also, I don't know about that "(method plain)" part, since we've been working hard to get this to work with secure email?!?!?!?
creacon
 
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Joined: 21. August 2009 19:14

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Izzy » 23. October 2009 23:22

Now you are using the correct port 465 try another auth method again as previously the alternative auth methods used were tried on a non secure port which could have resulted in the error messages.

auth on = plain as does auth with no method.

So try auth login or auth cram-md5

Or try and find out from Yahoo what method of authentication they use or check in Outlook's configuration what authentication it uses for accessing your Yahoo account.
Izzy
 
Posts: 3344
Joined: 25. April 2006 17:06

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby creacon » 24. October 2009 00:03

Now you are using the correct port 465 try another auth entry.
auth on = plain as does auth with no method.
So try auth login or auth cram-md5


I tried every one of them, and some gave errors, others didn't, but none worked; digest-md5, gssapi & ntlm didn't post errors in sendmail.log, but no email was received. The rest gave the following errors:

Code: Select all
Oct 23 18:31:40 host=smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com tls=on auth=on user=rob@creacontech.com from=rob@creacontech.com recipients=creacontech@windstream.net smtpstatus=530 smtpmsg='530 Access denied' errormsg='authentication failed (method PLAIN)' exitcode=EX_NOPERM
Oct 23 18:34:18 host=smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com tls=on auth=on user=rob@creacontech.com from=rob@creacontech.com recipients=creacontech@windstream.net errormsg='the server does not support authentication method CRAM-MD5' exitcode=EX_UNAVAILABLE
Oct 23 18:40:33 host=smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com tls=on auth=on user=rob@creacontech.com from=rob@creacontech.com recipients=creacontech@windstream.net errormsg='the server does not support authentication method EXTERNAL' exitcode=EX_UNAVAILABLE
Oct 23 18:42:32 host=smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com tls=on auth=on user=rob@creacontech.com from=rob@creacontech.com recipients=creacontech@windstream.net smtpstatus=530 smtpmsg='530 Access denied' errormsg='authentication failed (method LOGIN)' exitcode=EX_NOPERM


I looked at my Outlook account settings, but couldn't find any reference to an authentication method. Under "More Settings" all that's there is, in the "Outgoing Server" tab there's only a checkbox labelled "My outgoing server requires authentication" and a radio button that's checked, whic reads "Use same settings as my incoming mail server".
In the "Advanced" tab, are the settings:
Under "Server Port Numbers"; Incoming server (POP3) : 995,
followed by a checked box reading "This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL), then
Outgoing Server (SMTP) 465, followed by a drop list labelled:
"Use the following type of encrypted connection", and "SSL" is selected.
Those were the ONLY settings in Outlook, besides the default settings, that would allow email in and out.

I'm going to contact Yahoo about the authentication method, as you suggest, but if all of the ones above are all that there are, I don't know how much help they'll be. I'll post back as soon as I get information from Yahoo.

FWIW, I just entered a tech support call request to Yahoo, and it indicates a 53 minute wait (it's now 7:10 EST here).
creacon
 
Posts: 36
Joined: 21. August 2009 19:14

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Izzy » 24. October 2009 00:12

That list of auth methods was from the msmtp manual but only 3 or so are actually used.
msmtp wrote:2.2 Authentication commands

See Authentication.

‘auth [(on|off|method)]’
This command enables or disables SMTP authentication and optionally chooses an authentication method to use. It should not be necessary to choose a method; with the argument ‘on’, msmtp will choose the best one available. Accepted methods are ‘plain’, ‘cram-md5’, ‘digest-md5’, ‘gssapi’, ‘external’, ‘login’, and ‘ntlm’. See Authentication.


So you could try not using the auth entry - leave it out of the equation altogether or perhaps auth off even.
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Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby creacon » 24. October 2009 01:16

So you could try not using the auth entry - leave it out of the equation altogether or perhaps auth off even.


Tried both of the above, and both gave me the following error messages in sendmail.log:
Code: Select all
Oct 23 20:07:27 host=smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com tls=on auth=off from=rob@creacontech.com recipients=creacontech@windstream.net smtpstatus=530 smtpmsg='530 authentication required - for help go to http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mail/pop/pop-11.html' errormsg='envelope from address rob@creacontech.com not accepted by the server' exitcode=EX_DATAERR
Oct 23 20:09:08 host=smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com tls=on auth=off from=rob@creacontech.com recipients=creacontech@windstream.net smtpstatus=530 smtpmsg='530 authentication required - for help go to http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mail/pop/pop-11.html' errormsg='envelope from address rob@creacontech.com not accepted by the server' exitcode=EX_DATAERR


Also, I finally got to Yahoo tech support, and the technician said that their authentication method is "password", which I tried, and, as expected, no mail but also no error message logged.

I keep reading references to a thing called "pear" that's supposed to help the php mail function work. I looked in the xampp\php folder, and saw a folder named "PEAR", but I don't know what to do with it. Do you think it would help me, and if so, how do I go about implementing it and making it work?????

I seem to be getting nowhere, so I'm beginning to think that most of my progress thus far with my web pages has been beginner's luck.
Last edited by creacon on 24. October 2009 01:40, edited 1 time in total.
creacon
 
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Joined: 21. August 2009 19:14

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Izzy » 24. October 2009 01:32

Also, I finally got to Yahoo tech support, and the technician said that their authentication method is "password", which I tried, and, as expected, no mail but also no error message logged.
The password method does not exist.
Did you request from Yahoo information on the smtp authentication method?

BTW "password" means either the login method or plain or simply using the auth on method, much the same as Gmail which uses auth on.

If it is any consolation all the successful msmtp configurations for Yahoo I have found using Google use auth on and port 465 with the rest of the configurations just as you now have them for TLS - for most the stumbling block was the port number used and when corrected to port 465 they were successful in sending and receiving email through Yahoo.



In 1.7.2 pear is already implemented, see:
http://localhost/xampp/
Click on pearinfo() in the left menu panel.
Look for the Mail section.
Izzy
 
Posts: 3344
Joined: 25. April 2006 17:06

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby creacon » 24. October 2009 02:15

The password method does not exist.
Did you request from Yahoo information on the smtp authentication method?


Yup! And he didn't seem to know what I was talking about. He eventually sent me to a Yahoo Help search list that then took me to a page on About.com. Unfortunately that only talked about php.ini. I also followed a link to the PEAR package, but again, was completely confused about what how and where.

If it is any consolation all the successful msmtp configurations for Yahoo I have found using Google use auth on and port 465 with the rest of the configurations just as you now have them for TLS - for most the stumbling block was the port number used and when corrected to port 465 they were successful in sending and receiving email through Yahoo.


Thanks. Unfortunately for me, I have port 465 listed, but I still don't get anywhere. The story of my life is "a day late and a dollar short".

In 1951 I joined the Air Force for 4 years just to stay out of the Army for 3, and wound up in the ONLY Air Force unit in Korea that drew combat pay - an infiltrator 120 miles on the wrong side of the front lines. My next door neighbor waited till he got drafted, went in a year after I did, got out a year before I did and never when past Honolulu. See what I mean? Sometimes I feel like I can't win from losing. Boo Hoo. Now that I've unloaded, any ideas about how to proceed? The real clinker here is that when I upload my pages to my Yahoo website, the email works fine there.

Is there something that I'm missing about enabling SSL? The sendmail.ini has a "TLS paramater, but nothing about SSL.
creacon
 
Posts: 36
Joined: 21. August 2009 19:14

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Izzy » 24. October 2009 02:39

The term Transport Layer Security (TLS) has taken over from the deprecated term Secure Socket Layer (SSL) - changes for changes sake perhaps, as it means the same thing?



Lets recap and take a look at what you have got:
Paste here your php.ini mail setting section.
Paste here the full sendmail.ini.

What script are you using to send mail, perhaps I can load it on my 1.7.2 test installations to see if I get errors using another email service - this will point the finger straight at Yahoo if it works on another service.

Before testing your scripts, you are restarting Apache and MySQL after editing your ini and conf files?

No reason I can think of, off hand, why only your configuration is not working, yet it works for others and on another web server like the one on Yahoo.
Does this Yahoo server use Apache PHP and sendmail etc. the same as does XAMPP?
Last edited by Izzy on 24. October 2009 03:20, edited 2 times in total.
Izzy
 
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Joined: 25. April 2006 17:06

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby creacon » 24. October 2009 03:19

Paste here your php.ini mail setting section.


Code: Select all
[mail function]
; For Win32 only.
; http://php.net/smtp
;SMTP = localhost
;smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
; http://php.net/smtp-port
;smtp_port = 25

; For Win32 only.
; http://php.net/sendmail-from
;sendmail_from = rob@creacontech.com

; For Unix only.  You may supply arguments as well (default: "sendmail -t -i").
; http://php.net/sendmail-path
sendmail_path = "\"C:\xampp\sendmail\sendmail.exe\" -t -i"

; Force the addition of the specified parameters to be passed as extra parameters
; to the sendmail binary. These parameters will always replace the value of
; the 5th parameter to mail(), even in safe mode.
;mail.force_extra_parameters =

; Add X-PHP-Originating-Script: that will include uid of the script followed by the filename
mail.add_x_header = Off

; Log all mail() calls including the full path of the script, line #, to address and headers
;mail.log = "C:\xampp\apache\logs\php_mail.log"



Paste her the full sendmail.ini.


Code: Select all
# Example for a user configuration file

# Set default values for all following accounts.
defaults
logfile "C:\xampp\sendmail\sendmail.log"

# Mercury
#account Mercury
#host localhost
#from postmaster@localhost
#auth on

# A freemail service example
account SecureYahoomail
host smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
from rob@creacontech.com
port 465
auth on
user rob@creacontech.com
password [raisin4312]
tls on
tls_starttls off
tls_certcheck off

# Set a default account
account default : SecureYahoomail


[quoteWhat script are you using to send mail, perhaps I can load it on my 1.7.2 test installations to see if I get errors using another email service - this will point the finger straight at Yahoo if it works on another service.
][/quote]

Code: Select all
      //   Now send an email to IOD with the necessary information
      //   to submit the report requests to Backchecked.
      //   REMEMBER to change the $to/$from assignments when uploaded to IOD website
      $to       = "creacontech@windstream.net";
      $from    = "rob@creacontech.com";
      $headers = "From: $from";
      $subject = "WOTC Questionnaire Report Request";
      $message = $cust." has executed a WOTC Questionnaire for: \n \n".
               " ".$arrappl[fullname].", SSN: ".$arrappl[ssn].", DOB: ".$arrappl[dob].
               ", ".$arrappl[race].", ".$sex."\n Address: ".$address.", ".
               $arrappl[city].", ".$arrappl[state].", ".$arrappl[zip].", Phone: ".
               $arrappl[phone]."\n \n Recruited By: ".$arrappl[recname].", Title: "
               .$arrappl[rectitl].", Phone: ".$arrappl[recphn].", Extn: ".$arrappl[recphnext].
               "\n Address: ".$rcraddr.", ".$arrappl[reccity].", ".
               $arrappl[recstate].", ".$arrappl[reczip]."\n Email: ".$arrappl[recemail].
               "\n \n and has requested the following reports: \n \n";
               
      for ($i=0; $i<=$numreps; $i++)
      {
         $message = $message.$arrpsel[$i]."; ";
      }
      
      if (mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers))
      {
//         printf("The following email was sent:<br /><br />    To:  %s<br /><br />Subj:  %s<br />
//               <br />Your WOTC Questionnaire for:<br /><br />  Name:  %s",
//               $to,$subject,$arrappl[fullname]);

         echo '<script type="text/javascript">alert("A WOTC Questionnaire email WAS SENT to\n  Information On Demand." );</script>';

      }
      else
      {
           echo '<script type="text/javascript">alert("An ERROR was encountered and the email WAS NOT SENT.\n Contact Information On Demand for assistance.");</script>';
      }
   


Before testing your scripts, you are restarting Apache and MySQL after editing your ini and conf files?


I haven't been restarting MySQL because the page that sends the email doesn't have any MySQL code. I have, however, been restarting Apache each and every time I made a change to either of the .ini's. From now on I will restart MySQL as well.

Does this Yahoo server use Apache PHP and sendmail etc. the same as does XAMPP?


I haven't a clue, but I'll try to research that.
creacon
 
Posts: 36
Joined: 21. August 2009 19:14

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Izzy » 24. October 2009 04:24

I don't know if it will help but msmtp is not a true sendmail app even though it is supposed to be compatible and the arguments may or may not be responsible here especially the -i switch which according to the msmtp manual is ignored anyway.
Code: Select all
sendmail_path = "\"C:\xampp\sendmail\sendmail.exe\" -t -i"
Drop the -i to now read
Code: Select all
sendmail_path = "\"C:\xampp\sendmail\sendmail.exe\" -t"
Save the php.ini file and restart Apache, test again.

In the sendmail.ini file change this
Code: Select all
from rob@creacontech.com
to your yahoo email account address and password, if you have one, for authentication purposes - you@bizmail.yahoo.com for example and if not then leave it as it is.

Your web site was created by Yahoo and also the mail script and I would hope that it works on the Yahoo servers.
The form is being posted to
http://us.1.p12.webhosting.yahoo.com/forms?login=informationondemand&to=&confirm=&error=

Not to
smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
as is the form you are trying to send via XAMPP.

If I get time later today, I will test it out on another email service using 1.7.2 and sendmail.


BTW it's not necessary to restart MySQL if your not using it but I included it so people get into the habit of restarting the XAMPP components after editing configuration files.
Izzy
 
Posts: 3344
Joined: 25. April 2006 17:06

Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Wiedmann » 24. October 2009 05:30

Code: Select all
smtpmsg='530 Access denied' errormsg='authentication failed (method PLAIN)' exitcode=EX_NOPERM
or
smtpmsg='530 Access denied' errormsg='authentication failed (method LOGIN)' exitcode=EX_NOPERM

Normally this means your user or password is not correct.

Code: Select all
from rob@creacontech.com
user rob@creacontech.com
password [raisin4312]

These are exactly the same values you are using in e.g. Outlook?
Wiedmann
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Re: Suddenly I can't send email

Postby Izzy » 24. October 2009 08:52

Bob, you need to check that your password is correct, but please never ever post it on a forum unless you intend to change it immediately after - I would have thought you would have checked that first before using it in your form and if, as you say, those credentials are the same in Outlook and work, then they should also work in sendmail.

BTW is your password really wrapped in [ ] brackets as this is not normal?

I notice you have posted your password a few times now and my advice is to change it ASAP and then use your new password to try and login to your email account using Outlook first, then if you can connect in Outlook to send and receive email then use the same credentials in your form.

Another item to check is the host name as often service providers use a different host name for TLS/SSL - I currently have a hosting service that does just that and so does GoDaddy hosting, so it may be worth checking, as this will also give authentication errors if you are trying to connect via TLS when the non TLS server expects plain email.

Just as an idea and you have nothing to lose by trying this in Outlook as you own the domain name creacontech.com and when I get hosting service's email configurations they usually don't tell you can use your own domain name for the mail host - it looks more professional:
E-Mail Host
Code: Select all
pop.creacontech.com
smtp.creacontech.com
Izzy
 
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